This invention is directed to a device for connecting grain bin sheets and more particularly to the use of splice plates to connect grain bin sheets together.
Grain bins are well known in the art. The maximum thickness of steel that most bin roll-forming machinery can process is 8 ga., which is 0.16 inches thick. Very large commercial galvanized corrugated steel bins such as a 135 ft. diameter bin having an 88 ft. eave height (24 rings) often needs triple laminated sheets near the bottom of the sidewall to get the overall material thickness of 0.48 inches needed to achieve the structural strength required. In this bin size, typically the lower 9 rings would be triple laminated sheets of 8 or 9 gauge galvanized steel.
Generally, on smaller diameter bins, the sheets are connected by overlapping the ends of the sheets as shown in FIG. 1. For very large bins, due to the thickness and size of sheets required, the overlapping connection creates nearly a ½ inch gap at the bottom of an upper ring where the horizontal seam meets the vertical seam. The ½ inch gap not only needs to be filled to prevent grain leakage, which could weaken the structural integrity of the bin creating a possible failure, but the gap also causes the holes along the vertical seam to fall out of alignment due to thicker gauges of steel being bolted together.
During production, holes are punched at the same spacing. When the laminated sheets are connected due to thicker gauges of steel and a greater radius, the holes fall out of alignment. When erecting a grain bin, to aid in the speed of erection it is desired to have bolts that fit easily into the holes while at the same time having a tight clearance between the hole and bolt for greater structural integrity. More specifically, it is desired to eliminate the gaps between sheets so that bolts are drawn up tight. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a device that addresses these deficiencies.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a device that eliminates the gap created by overlapping the ends of corrugated steel sheets especially where the vertical and horizontal seams connect.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a device that improves the speed of erecting a grain bin while maintaining structural integrity.
These and other objectives will be known to others based upon the following written description.